This unit commences with the study of the unification process that resulted in the emergence of Egypt as the first territorial state in the Near East. The ensuing Early Dynastic Period, Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period are studied through a combination of literary and documentary texts, surviving monuments and objects of material culture. An historical outline of these periods provides a framework within which social, cultural and religious developments are reviewed. While the focus is upon internal affairs particularly during the Old Kingdom (Pyramid Age), Egypt's relations with the Sudan, Libya, the Near East and the Mediterranean are examined. -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Elizabeth Bloxam
